Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine to discuss fixed price milk contracts and impact of ash dieback

The meeting at 5.30pm in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be split into two sessions.

• 5.30pm-7pm – Fixed Milk Price Contracts, with representatives of Ornua.
• 7pm-8.30pm – Ash Dieback and its impact on the Private Forestry Sector, with representatives from Limerick Tipperary Woodland Owners Ltd (LTWO).

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Jackie Cahill said: “Dairy farmers are locked into fixed price milk contracts which govern what they are paid for their milk output. Over the last six to 12 months they have faced unprecedented increases in input costs on feed, fertiliser and fuel which seen many suffer serious financial hardship. The Committee welcomes this opportunity to meet with Ornua, which is a large cooperative and Ireland’s biggest dairy exporter, to discuss their role in the dairy sector and how they can help alleviate the severe financial pressure currently felt by farmers.

“In our second session, the Committee will again discuss the impact on forestry owners who have suffered financial losses due to no fault of their own from the devastation of their plantations from ash dieback. We will hear from plantation owners from Limerick and Tipperary on what they believe is needed to alleviate the financial losses and other problems caused by ash dieback.”

The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.